Inmarsat WISL (wideband streaming L band) currently allocates dedicated spectrum (bandwidth) onboard aircrafts to be used for regional operations. Generally, frequencies between 1 and 2 GHz are referred to as L-band. L-band antennas are small and lightweight, making them especially suited for tactical and mobile operation. The primary L-band constellation is the Inmarsat I-4 BGAN Network, which has a direct-connect into the Inmarsat satellite access stations and Internet. L-band provides global operations, even in adverse weather conditions to provide seamless global network coverage enabling broadband communications to mobile users anywhere in the world. Typical L-band applications can include mobile voice, video and data services (land, air, as well as navigation Systems, and the applications are over different footprints. The spectrum is shared among a footprint. Inmarsat carves out portions of the bandwidth to allow remote users to lease those portions to use part of the spectrum (bandwidth) in dedicated L-Band leases. The user(s) are allowed to use dedicated bandwidth, such that only one user will use one leased bandwidth at a time.
A challenge with using WISL comes from the traveling aircraft having to move from one narrow beam to another. Currently the link between the teleport modems and WISL modems is allocated statically to a single beam, and it gets broken or creates interference when aircraft travels from beam to beam or from satellite to satellite as the aircraft travels between the beams and in effect crossing into different L-band frequencies.
Remote users such as but not limited to systems onboard an aircraft include routers, ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), and the like, currently use Inmarsat (WISL) wideband streaming L band, that require personal onboard the aircraft to manually configure and change between satellite bandwidth leases as the aircraft passes from one beam to another.
A problem with this manual operation is that onboard remotes attached to terminals such as routers and ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), often drop the communication links between the aircraft and remote connections as the aircraft passes from one beam to another.
Currently a plane going on a mission must set up the WAM WISL access modem system manually to allow the ISR to continuously use the bandwidth.
The current systems that use WISL normally have to manually configure the WISL box (plug in computer) and change on the go, where the reconfiguring must be manually operated on the aircraft and at the satellite access station modems.
Having to require the onboard personnel constantly reestablish communication links results in loss of valuable data communications during important missions, as well as the extra work required by the onboard personnel which takes their valuable time away from other important activities onboard the aircraft.
Additional problems also exist with WISL systems. The current WISL system only allows one remote at a time, and requires manual intervention and coordination of onboard and ground personnel to hand-over active use of the lease between multiple aircrafts, or giving priority to one remote specifically. When one aircraft 200 needs to take over the lease to another aircraft 200, the active remote shall disable the active WAM 210, personnel on the ground reconfigures the teleport modems 110, and finally personnel onboard the second aircraft 200 reconfigure their WAM 210 to lock on the shared lease. This would have to be in this specific order and within certain time to prevent interference or extended break in service. Current WISL systems do not have a safe guard to prevent and inadvertent transmission from the aircraft 200, both inside and outside of the leased area. When an aircraft 200 is preparing to enter the leased area, personnel onboard the aircraft 200 could begin transmission prior to entering the lease, causing interference in an adjacent beam. As such, when an aircraft 200 is preparing to leave the leased area, the personnel onboard the aircraft 200 may neglect to mute the transmissions from the WISL system, also causing interference to an adjacent beam.
Currently the ground personnel do not have visibility or situational awareness of the status and health of the remote equipment. Any issues occurring onboard the aircraft 200 such as issues with power levels, IP configuration issues, mismatch modem configurations or user configuration errors, or the plane entering or leaving the lease area.
Satellite communication systems have been proposed over the years but do not overcome the problems addressed above. U.S. Published Patent Application Publications: 2013/0070666; 2014/0286236 and 2016/0204854 to Miller et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 9,184,829 to Miller et al. are generally directed for how a system uses a satellite to establish communications with multiple remotes to establish meshed networks, and deal directly with spectrum.
U.S. Published Patent Application Publication 2012/0009920 to Karabinis is generally concerned with having two satellites sharing the same spectrum in an overlapping area.
U.S. Published Patent Application Publication 2016/0286532 to Karabinis is generally concerned with reusing the spectrum in a way that avoids interference.
U.S. Published Patent Application Publication 2015/0078218 to Karabinis is also generally concerned with reusing spectrum in satellite and terrestrial networks, similar to Inmarsat does with ATC.
Other prior art relating to satellite communication systems have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,218,476 to Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 8,238,819 to Karabinis; U.S. Pat. No. 9,014,083 to Boltz et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 9,184,829 to Miller et al.
None of the cited prior art allows for management of resources in satellite communication systems addressed above. Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.